China-UK nanotech joint venture signed

The China National Academy of Nanotechnology & Engineering and the UK's Institute of Pharmaceutical Innovation at the University of Bradford have launched a joint initiative to pioneer novel technology to improve medicines, using nanotechnology techniques.

Paul Thorning, the IPI's director, said: "this has been a major breakthrough for us. CNANE is a world-class organization and has leading research capabilities in nanotechnology. This partnership will further strengthen our research in this field and provides us with a link to one of the fastest-growing pharmaceutical markets in the world."

The CNANE is a multi-disciplinary research center that is co-funded by the Chinese Academy of Science, Beijing University and Tsinghua University. The Academy's vice president said: "we see international collaboration as the most important element for the development of science and technology. The development with the IPI greatly strengthens our scientific capability and will accelerate the pace of our research development."